American Values and the Next President

A Times editorial series on the values and issues that will shape the 2008 election. Click here to read Editorial Page Editor Jim Newton's introduction to the series on the Opinion L.A. blog. Click here to check out reader responses and find more at Opinion L.A.

This editorial concludes our examination of the values that have historically defined our nation, and moves us to the next phase of our rumination on the 2008 presidential campaign: focusing on the candidates themselves.